This easy no bake white Christmas recipe is a delicious update on a classic Aussie dessert. With white chocolate, crunchy cereal and tangy red cranberries, it makes a pretty addition to any Christmas dessert table and fantastic homemade Christmas gifts.
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This Australian white Christmas recipe is a modern update on this classic festive slice. White Christmas is traditionally made with copha aka vegetable shortening and dried fruit such as sultanas. It is sometimes made with a mix of vegetable shortening and white chocolate.
In this version I have replaced the vegetable shortening with white chocolate for a easier yummier slice. I have replaced the sultanas with delicious dried cranberries for an extra pop of festive color and in my opinion cranberries taste better than sultanas! This recipe is very adaptable and you can swap and replace some of the ingredients as you like. Just watch the ratio of white chocolate to other ingredients or it won't stick together and will be crumbly.
However you make in this delicious white Christmas it makes a great addition to your Christmas slices.
Ingredients
White chocolate: I use cheap white chocolate melts in this recipe and they worked just fine. You can use more expensive white chocolate if you prefer or experiment with flavored white chocolate.
Dried cranberries: give a wonderful pop of color in this recipe and they are delicious. Traditionally white Christmas is made with sultanas which are a more economically option. You can substitute half or all the dried cranberries with sultanas, currents or other dried fruit if you prefer.
Glacé cherries: add flavor and big pops of beautiful color to this recipe. You can leave them out if you don't like them.
Blanched almonds: keep with the red and white color theme of this recipe and add some wonderful crunch. You can use regular almonds with skins on if you prefer or substitute with your other favorite nuts. Macadamias or brazil nuts would work particularly well in this recipe.
Desiccated coconut: adds another flavor element. If you like coconut don't be tempted to add to much extra or your mix won't bind together. The desiccated coconut works best texture wise in this recipe, shredded coconut would have a chunkier, chewier texture. You could leave the coconut out if you prefer to.
Rice bubbles: help give some crunch and texture to this recipe. You could use rice puffs or your preferred crunchy rice cereal in this recipe.
How to make white Christmas
Line a squareish baking tray, approx. 8 x 12 inches (20 x 30 cm) with baking paper. Cut the glacé cherries in half. Roughly chop the blanched almonds.
Add the rice bubbles, coconut, chopped almonds, cranberries and chopped glacé cherries to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Melt the white chocolate. My preferred method is to add the chocolate to a large heatproof bowl and microwave it in short bursts of 30 seconds to one and a half minutes, checking between each burst. When the chocolate is starting to look melted you can stir it to help the melting. In my microwave this took about ten minutes.
Working quickly add the melted chocolate to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients and stir well. Tip into the prepared baking tray and pat down to flatten out.
Leave for about two hours or until the chocolate is fully set. Remove from baking tray and carefully peel off baking paper. Cut into square pieces with a large sharp knife.
How to make white Christmas gifts
This white Christmas makes excellent make ahead edible Christmas gifts. Put a some pieces into a clear cellophane bag or jar with some pretty silver and gold ribbon tied around the top. This recipe stores well for up to a month or more at room temperature without refrigeration, so its great for make ahead edible Christmas gifts.
How to serve
This delicious white Christmas is perfect to serve after a Christmas feast, as part of festive dessert bar or when friends and family pop over during the festive season. Its an excellent, easy no bake dessert for when you're asked to bring a plate.
How to store
This recipe stores well in a airtight container container lined with baking paper in a cool room for up to a month or more.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
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📋 Recipe
White Christmas
Equipment
- Deep baking tray, approx. 8 x 12 inches (20 x 30 cm)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (110gms) blanched almonds *or your preferred white nuts
- nearly 1 cup (150gms) glacé cherries *optional
- 1 and ½ cups (50gms) rice bubbles or rice puffs
- ¾ cup (50gms) desiccated coconut
- 2 and ½ cups (300gms) dried cranberries
- 4 and ¾ cups (750gms) white chocolate melts or buttons
Instructions
- Line a deep baking tray with baking paper,
- Lightly chop the blanched almonds. Cut the glacé cherries in half.
- Add the rice bubbles, desiccated coconut, chopped almonds, dried cranberries and chopped cherries to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Melt the chocolate. I prefer to melt chocolate in a heat proof bowl in the microwave, in 30 to one and a half minute bursts, checking in between each burst and stirring as needed. This much chocolate took about ten minutes to melt in my microwave.
- You can melt the white chocolate in a double boiler if you prefer, but make sure you don't get any water into the chocolate or it will seize and then you will have to start again with new chocolate.
- Working quickly, add the melted white chocolate to the other ingredients. Mix well then tip into prepared baking tray. Lightly press and flatten into the tray to smooth the top.
- Set aside until chocolate is completely cooled and set, approximatly two hours depending on how hot the room is. Remove from tray and carefully peel back the baking paper.
- Cut into cubes using a large sharp knife.
- Put onto a pretty Christmas plate and enjoy! Perfect to serve after a Christmas feast, as part of festive dessert bar or when friends and family pop over during the festive season. An excellent, easy no bake dessert for when you're asked to bring a plate.
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Oh my goodness this looks so good.
That's Michelle, all my taste testers loved it!
I have made this specialty for years using cranberries, when I first moved to Canada couldn't find the kremelataI used downunder, but here the Deli has a product called Palmin, so delicious.
Thanks Nancy, its such a great recipe and the cranberries really add to it. We have a similar product to Palmin in Australia called Copha which is vegetable shortening. It's traditionally been made this way, but I think its yummier with just chocolate 🙂